By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR

Published: 00:01 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 12:49 BST, 31 August 2026

Mass circumcision ceremonies in South Africa have left more than 43 boys dead and dozens more mutilated. 

The rituals – known in the country as ‘Ulwaluko’ – are carried out twice a year at initiation schools with the intention of preparing young men for adulthood. 

When the youngsters arrive, they are taken away from their families and smothered in white clay. 

They then spend three weeks transitioning from boys to men before being returned home. 

As part of the ceremony, the initiates are meant to be circumcised by traditional surgeons who have years of experience.

But many circumcisions are instead carried out by unskilled people working at illegal initiation schools who use old spears, scissors or razor blades to perform horrific surgery.

Ulwaluko can be deadly. In 2024, the combined deaths of both winter and summer rituals was 93 boys with 11 total penis amputations – with some rogue ‘surgeons’ found to perform the operation without anaesthetic.

A report commissioned by the South African government recorded 322 deaths of young boys between 2021 and 2024, as well as thousands of hospitalisations and amputations.

It laid the blame at the door of criminal gangs who have set up unscrupulous illegal initiation schools who use untrained ‘surgeons’ and ‘nurses’ who botch the circumcisions.

Many circumcisions are carried out by unskilled people working at illegal initiation schools who use old spears, scissors or razor blades

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The main causes of death are gangrene, sepsis and severe dehydration – though some unwilling boys have been stabbed, drowned or beaten to death. 

There are hundreds of reports a year of illegal schools kidnapping boys as young as 12 to circumcise them, before forcing parents to pay to have their sons returned home. 

The Customary Initiation Act has been passed to make it illegal for unregistered initiation schools to be set up and force all traditional surgeons to be fully trained and qualified by the state.

Police now have the powers to shut down the illegal schools and arrest the principals.

South African police clamping down on unregistered initiation schools have shut down 42 of them, making 40 arrests and rescuing 180 boys. 

But the ceremonies are still hugely important to many across the country. Unless the youths undergo the rite they are not allowed to sit in on tribal meetings or take part in many social activities or consider getting married.

The rituals have been held for centuries in secret in specially built huts away from the villages where nobody except tribal elders, a ‘surgeon’, and the initiates can enter.

Every year tens of thousands of boys undergo the transition to manhood through a sacred ceremony dating back hundreds of years despite the shocking annual death rate.

South Africa’s Minister of Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa said after the 43 teenage deaths: ‘These figures are deeply concerning to us and we send our condolences to all the families.

‘They serve as a stark reminder that much more must be done collectively to eliminate preventable deaths, injuries and criminal activities associated with customary initiation.

‘I condemn the continued operation of illegal initiation schools which are responsible for many of the deaths, injuries, kidnappings and abuses that are reported each year.

‘Individuals who establish, facilitate or participate in the illegal initiation schools must also understand they are committing criminal offences and must face the full might of the law.

‘Respect for tradition must go hand in hand with respect for the law and every initiate’s constitutional right to life, dignity and safety as we pledge to work towards zero deaths.

‘Every initiate deserves to return home safely and with their dignity intact and this requires all of us, parents, traditional leaders and communities to all play our full part,’ he said.

Although the boys have a choice as to whether they undertake the initiation there is huge peer pressure and those who refuse are called Inkwenkwe or ‘boy’ – a harsh insult.

Boys under 16 are not allowed by law to enter the initiation schools but boys as young as ten are often operated on in the illegal initiation schools.

Traditional surgeons charge parents to take the boys away for up to three weeks to teach them survival skills and tribal history and how to behave as a man then perform the dreaded ‘snip’.

Teenager Scotty Dawka, 19, went to an initiation school despite having seen a TV programme on penile amputations and told a local reporter: ‘I was of course very scared of going.

‘In my community many boys went through the initiation before me and I wanted to be the same as them. I wanted to be looked up to as a man in my village by the elders,’ he said.

‘It was very painful to go through and I fell ill but I was treated and survived.’

Anne Kumalo’s 16-year-old son was kidnapped when he went to a local store along with 22 other boys and taken to an illegal initiation school 20 miles away in Soweto.

She said: ‘I was charged 1000 Rand (£45) to get him back or warned he would be killed and when police found the school the boys had been badly treated, whipped and beaten.’

Last year Siyamthanda Siymthanda, 13, from Witbank, Mpumalanga Province, died while at initiation school and his family claim he was abducted against his and their will.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela wrote about the spiritual meaning of his own circumcision as a teenager before becoming accepted as a freedom fighter.

Those who have undergone the sacred ritual are sworn to secrecy and considered tribal outcasts and severely beaten or killed if they tell anyone what the process entails.

The worst of the injuries occur from botched circumcisions carried out by tribal ‘nurses’ who may use the same rusty spear for many boys which causes mass infection.

The wounds are tightly wrapped with bandages that cuts off the blood supply to the area and within ten hours the genitals can become gangrenous and need amputating.

Many die of severe dehydration as after surgery they are denied water to stop them urinating on the grounds it will cause further injury to their grievous wounds.

Many superstitious initiates do not seek medical treatment when clearly needed having been told if it ‘falls off’ that it will ‘grow back’ – but then die from sepsis.

The winter initiation season runs from mid-May to mid-July with the official figure of 43 deaths now having been collated and the summer season from November to January.

Lady Kitty Spencer has shared a glimpse of her summer getaway to The Hamptons with her rarely-seen billionaire husband Michael Lewis.

The 35-year-old niece of Princess Diana took to Instagram to share a carousel of enviable pictures from the ‘sweetest summertime’ in the popular holiday spot often frequented by A-listers.

Lady Kitty oozed elegance as she posed in a glamorous floral maxi dress, which she paired with pink heels, during an intimate dinner hosted by fashion designers Carolina Herrera and Wes Gordon, and Sarah Wetenhall, founder of the boutique hotel Hedges Inn.

However, eagle-eyed fans took particular note of the video Lady Kitty shared of her tycoon husband, whom she tied the knot with in 2021.

Lady Kitty – who is 32 years younger than her husband – married South African businessman Michael in the enchanting gardens of Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, Italy.

Now, in a rare display of their family life, which is often kept private from the public eye, the socialite shared a video of Michael and their three-year-old daughter Athena playing in the sea.

Elsewhere, Lady Kitty posed in a polka dot bikini top, while also showcasing their family time in the sun – including trips to the supermarket, footprints in the sand and Athena feeding farm animals.

Combined with family snapshots, Lady Kitty also shared a photograph with dermatologist Dr Macrene Alexiades at an event for nail varnish brand Essie, alongside footage of America DJ Diplo during a performance in The Hamptons.

In a rare display of their family life, which is often kept private from the public eye, the socialite shared a video of Michael and their three-year-old daughter Athena playing in the sea 

During the family’s summer in The Hamptons, Lady Kitty shared a photo of her daughter Athena picking flowers

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Lady Kitty has kept her relationship with Michael largely out of the public eye, rarely sharing photos of him on social media and choosing to step out solo for most red-carpet events.

The pair, who first met through mutual friends in 2018, tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony at a stunning Italian country mansion three years later. They secretly welcomed Athena in 2023 and only announced her arrival on Mother’s Day the following year. 

Sharing a picture on the beach holding her baby, Lady Kitty wrote: ‘It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally. Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today’.

Lady Kitty is a first cousin to Princes William and Harry, which means that Athena is a second cousin to Princes George, Louis, Archie and Princesses Charlotte and Lilibet. 

She has made a name for herself in the fashion world, as a spokesmodel for Dolce & Gabbana, who supplied five dresses for her wedding, and walking in several Fashion Weeks across the globe. 

Michael, who is the chairman of the Foschini Group, which owns British high street chains Whistles and Phase Eight, is believed to be worth £80million. 

The business tycoon owns a £19million property in London and another home in his native South Africa, where his wife and her three siblings grew up after her father, Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, divorced. 

Lady Kitty getting ready for a red-carpet event while holidaying in the A-listers paradise

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Athena feeding goats on a farm. She was born in 2023, but her parents only announced her arrival on Mother’s Day the following year

Michael comes from wealth, thanks to his grandfather’s furniture retail business, which was founded in the 1930s.

Stanley Lewis, Michael’s father, bought a stake in the clothing retailer Foschini Group in the 1980s, with Michael later taking his place on the board.

The tycoon has been the board’s chairman since 2015 and presides over a vast retail empire.

Michael, who is five years older than Lady Kitty’s father, wed his first wife in 1985, and they had three children together before divorcing.

He proposed to Lady Kitty shortly before Christmas 2019 and their engagement became public in January 2020. 

During their wedding, Lady Kitty’s father was notably absent, as were her cousins. Instead, she was walked down the aisle by her brother Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and half-brother Samuel Aitken, whose father is businessman Jonathan Aitken, her mother’s ex-husband.

Earl Spencer was also absent from her sister, Lady Amelia’s mountaintop wedding to lifestyle coach Greg Mallet in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 2023.

At the time, an insider told the Daily Mail that the Earl’s health was unlikely to have accounted for his absence. Rather, it was likely to have been the result of a changing family dynamic.

The couple tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony at Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, Italy 

‘The four children are all close to their mother Victoria and get on well with their step-siblings [the earl has three other children from two marriages], and their Spencer aunts and have forged their own relationships with one another without needing Charles to bind them together,’ said the insider.

A source had previously told the Daily Mail how Earl Spencer and his eldest daughter have drifted apart over time.

‘Kitty and Charles were very close when she was growing up, but their relationship has cooled and been more distant since his marriage to his third wife Karen in 2011,’ they said. 

‘Charles recently suffered an injury and perhaps that will be the reason for him not travelling, but it is just easier for everyone that he is not there.’

As a global ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana, Kitty’s wedding wardrobe was designed by the Italian fashion house.

At the time, fashion designer Domenico Dolce said: ‘She told us she had thought of us immediately, and we were very happy with that!’

Kitty made her grand entrance in a Victorian-inspired ivory lace gown, incorporating a high neck, bustier-style bodice and puffed shoulders.

During the three-day celebrations, Kitty showcased a total of five D&G haute couture gowns, each exuding glamour and sophistication.

Having delayed their wedding for two years due to the pandemic, the celebrations  were attended by close friends including pop star Pixie Lott and the Marchioness of Bath.

The evening before the main event, she captivated guests wearing a blue tulle dress featuring a corseted bodice, full skirt and floor-length cape embroidered with flowers.

She swept her golden locks into a chignon and accessorised with an exquisite suite of jewels.

Following the nuptials, the bride changed into a silk ballgown, hand-painted with intricate blooms, and later danced the night away in a sparkling beaded cocktail dress.

On the third and final day of festivities, Kitty chose refined elegance, wearing an emerald silk dress embellished with sequins, ribbons and floral embroideries.

The Mowgli founder said the support shown to traders at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival is making a real difference to the local economy.

Nisha, who returned to the festival for her second appearance, said she was passionate about people making a living through food and sharing it with their communities.

She said: “It brings the communities together, and this is what Bolton Food Festival does, but I think nationally, it’s one of the best food festivals that there is; it’s extraordinary.”

Speaking on the final day of the festival, she praised visitors who had continued to support stallholders despite the weather.

Nisha said the event showed how food traders could have an impact beyond the stalls themselves, particularly through the money brought into the area.

She added: “Despite the weather, whatever the weather, and this is what’s important, people have come out, and they’ve supported those stallholders.

“Those stallholders are there peddling with their hearts behind whatever they’re doing, and it is really important that people come out and they have.”

The chef said the festival’s effect on the local economy was “absolutely extraordinary”.

She said: “Isn’t it an amazing thing that the dial on the Bolton economy can be turned by people peddling cheese and bread and pickles and jams?

“This makes my heart sing; this is food changing the fortunes of a city.

“So it’s been brilliant.”

Nisha was among the celebrity guests appearing at the festival, alongside chefs including James Martin and Marco Pierre White.

She said the event’s 21st year was “extraordinary” and praised the continued support it receives from local people.

Nisha added: “The fact that you’ve got a festival like this, that grows and grows and other festivals are shrinking, it is a real testimony to how wonderful the people of Bolton are to come out and support this.

“And please may they keep doing that, it’s amazing.”

She also said she planned to spend the rest of the day visiting the stalls before feeding 20 people later that evening.

Nisha said: “I’m here all day, I literally am going to go and buy everything.

“I’m going to feed them from these stalls today.”

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Marra, who is trying to succeed Anas Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader, said he would commit a future Labour Government to the policy.

A Scots Labour leadership candidate has said delivering justice for ex-footballers with dementia will be a priority if he wins the contest.

Michael Marra said he will push the SNP Government to help former pros whose brain damage was caused by heading the ball.

A study by Glasgow Uni’s Willie Stewart found ex-footballers are about three-and-a-half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative brain disease.

Defenders are also five times more likely to have dementia than non-footballers, with experts blaming headers.

In the previous term of the Parliament, Marra led a campaign for football-related dementia to be treated as an industrial injury.

It would involve the SNP using its devolved powers to ensure the people affected can claim benefits.

The campaign was backed by Scotland legends like Sir Alex Ferguson, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Craig Levein and Gordon Strachan.

Marra, the North East MSP who is going head-to-head with Joe Fagan in the race to succeed Anas Sarwar, said:

“Holyrood needs to back Scotland’s football heroes and recognise the impact these conditions have on their lives and their families.

“People living with conditions they developed as a result of their working lives deserve support from their government and their parliament.

“So I will push for action on this during this Parliament at Holyrood as Scottish Labour leader. If change is blocked by other parties I will commit a future Scottish Labour government to doing it.

“We can’t let these heroes down.”

An increasing number of former footballers have died after receiving a dementia diagnosis.

Celtic legend Billy McNeill and fellow Scotland great Gordon McQueen passed away after a battle with dementia.

Manchester United and Scotland hero Denis Law blamed headers for his dementia before he died last year.

He said: “What else would it be? You were heading the ball, which was quite heavy in those days, but you didn’t think about it. We just thought it was normal.”

Dons legend McLeish backed the campaign in 2023: “The call being made by Michael Marra to recognise brain injuries in football as an industrial injury is one I fully support. This would give players and their families access to the benefits and the support they need.

“It won’t fix the problem, we can’t turn back time, but we can make their lives easier.

“There is an opportunity to do things differently here in Scotland. We can’t run the clock down.”

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By SIMON JONES

Updated: 12:03 BST, 31 August 2026

Unexpectedly low numbers of veterans from Yorkshire have claimed redress for mistreatment under the pre-2000 “gay ban” in the armed forces, according to data from the charity Fighting With Pride.

Fewer women veterans are also believed to have come forward than expected, the charity said.

LGBT servicemen and women face the ever-nearing deadline of December 12 to apply for the Government’s financial redress scheme, which awards £50,000 discharge payments, and up to £20,000 in additional impact payments.

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Under the ban, which was in place between 1967 and 2000, men and women in the army, navy, and air force were subjected to brutal interrogation and bullying, and forced out of service, often with long-term impacts on their life and careers.

Fighting With Pride, which advocates on behalf of the LGBT forces community, in June launched its “Battle for Lost Veterans” campaign, urging those yet to come forward to apply for financial redress.

It believes there are approximately 1,000 people eligible for the scheme yet to have made a claim.

Some 65 veterans have made themselves known since the campaign was launched two months ago, but only 19 of these are in areas where there are known to be high populations of military veterans.

Some eight of those are from the South West of England, six are from Scotland, four from the North East, and only one from Yorkshire and the Humber.

In other areas much higher numbers have come forward, including the North West and South East of England, where 11 veterans apiece have made themselves known since the campaign was launched in June.

Peter Gibson, Fighting With Pride chief executive, said: “At Fighting With Pride, we’re determined to find every last veteran who’s owed justice. Nobody should be left behind.

“As the only LGBTQ+-specific armed forces charity, we will help anyone impacted by the ban to apply for what is rightfully yours, before it’s too late.

“If you know anyone who served and suffered under this outrageous historic policy, please help us find everyone. We can be contacted via our Fighting With Pride website. We’re determined to restore pride and dignity in service.”

The charity has also called on more women veterans to make applications for the scheme.

Some 61% of women who took part in a judge-led inquiry into the ban reported mistreatment under the ban, yet less than half of those who have come forward so far are women.

Dawn Loynes, a Royal Navy veteran who was unlawfully dismissed in 1994, encouraged other women to come forward to claim redress.

She said: “The mistreatment I experienced as a young female sailor had a profound and lasting impact on my life. While nothing can undo what happened, reconnecting with my military family, receiving my beret, and having my experiences recognised have all been important steps in my healing.

“I know that for many people affected by the ban, coming forward can feel daunting. Revisiting painful memories and reliving experiences that many have spent years trying to move beyond can be difficult and deeply emotional. Everyone’s journey is different, but it is important to know that you do not have to face that journey alone, and support is available throughout the process.”

The veteran added: “If sharing my story gives even one person the confidence to take that first step, then speaking publicly will have been worthwhile.

“Your experiences matter, your service matters, and what happened to you deserves to be recognised.

“Please do not leave it too late. If you think you may be eligible, I encourage you to explore your options and seek advice soonest.”

Almost £20 million of the £75 million the Government has set aside for the redress scheme is yet to be distributed.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We deeply regret the treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000, which was wholly unacceptable. We are committed to righting these wrongs, including through our Financial Recognition Scheme.

“We are working hard to ensure veterans know about the scheme and encourage all those eligible to come forward before the deadline in December. We have allocated £90,000 to charities, and we are working with local councils, the NHS and veterans organisations to promote and support applications.”

Amanda Abbington was spotted on set with Emma Thompson in her first major TV role since her Strictly row erupted once again. 

It was revealed in July that the Sherloick actress, 53, would return to screens in the second series of Apple TV’s detective thriller Down Cemetery Road alongside Emma Thompson, who is reprising her part as private investigator Zoë Boehm.

The smiling star was seen sporting a brunette hairstyle with a fringe and wearing a pretty summer dress as she filmed alongside the Oscar-winning actress, who wore casual clothes and a grey pixie crop while shooting the scenes in North London.  

Amanda’s appearance comes amid mass off-screen drama after her bitter fallout with her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, who said he was left suicidal by their row, which Amanda said he is ‘grossly mischaracterising’.

The actress made a shock exit just weeks into the competition in 2023 and later accused Giovanni of ‘vile abuse’ – prompting an enquiry from the BBC, Amanda receiving an apology and ‘substantial payout’ and Giovanni leaving the show.

It was revealed in July that the Sherloick actress, 53, would return to screens in the second series of Apple TV’s detective thriller Down Cemetery Road alongside Emma Thompson, who is reprising her part as private investigator Zoë Boehm

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Amanda’s appearance comes amid mass off-screen drama after her bitter fallout with her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, who said he was left suicidal by their row, which Amanda said he is ‘grossly mischaracterising’ 

Down Cemetery Road first hit screens last year and follows the story of the aftermath of a missing child and conspiracy theories in South Oxford suburbs.

Amanda’s role is yet to be announced in the show, which is based on the work of Mick Herron, the author of the acclaimed Slow Horses series. 

She wore a chic ensemble on-set, comprising a summer dress, trench coat and trainers while clutching a blue bag.  

Despite smiling while getting back to work, Amanda released a speedy rebuttal to new claims made by Giovanni in his new autobiography, Taking the Lead, which was serialised in The Mail on Sunday last weekend.

While Giovanni insisted he believed his relationship with Amanda to be a good one, based on friendly banter, the actress said his treatment led to her being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

After the book was unveiled, Amanda responded saying: ‘He is grossly mischaracterising what happened to suit his own narrative but I have no interest in engaging with that. My focus is on moving forward…

Down Cemetery Road first hit screens last year and follows the story of the aftermath of a missing child and conspiracy theories in South Oxford suburbs

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Amanda’s role is yet to be announced in the show, which is based on the work of Mick Herron, the author of the acclaimed Slow Horses series

Emma appeared in action-packed scenes 

Ruth Wilson was also seen on-screen shooting with Emma 

‘He took part in the BBC investigation that made findings against him, following which the channel paid me compensation’.

She took particular umbrage when Giovanni said in his book how she had made a deeply offensive Nazi salute during a rehearsal. He said that, while he could have taken it further and complained to Strictly bosses, he didn’t.

He said: ‘If somebody calls me rude names and makes rude gestures, including a Nazi salute (which Amanda did), it means our banter is at that level’.

Giovanni had also presented investigators with a 28-minute audio tape of a conversation with Amanda in which she told him how she knew she was a ‘nightmare’ and that she’d ‘throw me out of the window’ if she were him.

The release of his book comes after Amanda received hger a five-figure out-of-court settlement and a contribution to her legal fees from BBC Studios. 

She was seen clutching a bag while walking through the streets 

Giovanni had also presented investigators with a 28-minute audio tape of a conversation with Amanda in which she told him how she knew she was a ‘nightmare’ and that she’d ‘throw me out of the window’ if she were him 

The settlement has reportedly been made in a bid to prevent a lengthy court battle and allowing Amanda – who was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – to put her ordeal behind her.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘Amanda’s friends and family are all relieved for her that this ordeal is finally over. It’s been a long, hard journey, but now she can close this chapter and move on with her life.

‘The fact the BBC have compensated Amanda as well as previously publicly apologising really proves that they are taking responsibility for the bullying she suffered on set.

‘She hopes that this case will give others strength and encourage people to speak up.’

Amanda appeared to be happy to be back to work 

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives Amanda for comment. BBC representatives declined to comment when approached. 

Following an investigation by the BBC, Giovanni was cleared of the most serious accusations made against him and the BBC issued a formal apology to Amanda.

The report found that some of the language used by Giovanni towards Amanda could be ‘belittling’ and agreed with the Mr Selfridge actress that his feedback was, at times, ‘overly negative’ and that he had used profanity during rehearsals.

The report noted after reviewing several hours of rehearsal footage as part of an official investigation that there were two moments of ‘inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace’, which were found to simply have been ‘made and received as jokes’ between the pair.

An obituary posted by Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, external remembered “her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family”.

It continued: “Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, kindness, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.”

It added: “In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.” The Imagination Library was Parton’s scheme to send free books to young children.

Amelia Young, a reporter for Nashville’s NewsChannel 5, posted photos of flowers, external and a book of condolence at the tomb, which features a brass plaque showing Parton and Dean’s names and engravings of their childhood homes.